Quote:
Originally Posted by Superman
I've never heard of ethanol as a strategy for reducing emissions. Ethanol is added to gas because it is a less expensive way to bump octane up.
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We need to get
Sammy to help here...
It had 2 functions
1. Oxygenator for non-attainment counties in the USA. edit - (To reduce CO "carbon-monoxide" in the exhaust)
2. Octane booster
MTBE had the same function and it was "closer" to gasoline in heating value and only required a 5% mix to do the same thing as ethanol.
Refiners could put in either, but MTBE was cheaper. California banned MTBE (in the 1990's?). Since it was mandated at the federal level, MTBE users were "protected" against lawsuits. The EPA pulled that exemption and everyone switched to ethanol.
Then 2005 occurred with the RFS. And the corn farmers rejoiced.- Edit - The RFS mandated the 10% ethanol blend everywhere. And the refiners rejoiced, since they didn't need to make summer/winter and attainment/non-attainment versions of the fuel. Just ONE version.
edit - At the price, E85 seems silly. If it were 30% cheaper than gasoline, sure. But E85 does have a very high octane rating. For flexfuel vehicles that can make use of high octane fuel with advanced timing changes, it can be a good thing for power, etc.